Can't Let Go
by Isis Aurora Tomoe
Summary: When Mercedes graduated from high school, she cut almost everyone out of her life, including her secret love Finn. Fast forward ten years, and the Grammy winner is attending Schue's retirement party. How will she react when face to face with Finn?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Welcome to my first full length fic on Mercedes! I got a lot of positive feedback on my series of drabbles, and I decided to try a full length fic. After a _lot_ of thought, I decided on a Mercedes/Finn future fic, and I really hope you guys like it.

Pairings: Mercedes/Finn, Will/Holly, Santana/Brittany and Sam/Quinn to start. The rest will be determined in the following chapters.

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Glee is not mine, I'm not making any money.

Can't Let Go

Chapter 1

The general consensus at McKinley High School was that Rachel Berry was going to be the one famous person out of the class of 2012. Sure she was obnoxious as all hell, but the girl had talent, no denying that. So, the majority of the graduating class was stunned when it was a completely different 'Glee geek' that was on the covers of magazines, going on talk shows, and winning awards about ten years after graduation.

Mercedes Jones had it going on, and she knew it. But, unlike some Grammy winning divas, she never forgot where she came from. So when Mr. Schuester announced his retirement, Mercedes made time in her busy schedule to head to Lima for a surprise retirement party his wife Holly was planning.

"Miss Jones, do I have your RSVP for the party?"

"Yes ma'am! I get into town the day before."

"Do you need a place to stay?"

"Nope, I'm going to stay with Brittany and Santana."

"Great!"

"So, who else is coming?"

"The whole gang will be there."

Mercedes quirked an eyebrow. "How on Earth did you manage to get everyone together? Scratch that, how did you _find_ everyone?"

Holly gave a suspicious giggle. "If I tell you, I'd have to kill you."

Mercedes could not stop her laugh. "Okay, keep your secrets. I'll see you next week!"

"Okay, take care!"

Mercedes leaned back on the bed, contemplating. {I haven't seen him in years...I wonder what he's like now? He's probably married to Rachel or something by now. I should have told him...}

**Flashback**

Mercedes was a semi-permanent fixture at the Hudson-Hummel house, so it was natural that she and Finn got to know each other better. One evening found the two of them watching a movie together while Kurt stepped out to give a friend from Dalton some wardrobe advice for a date.

"Mercedes?"

"Yeah?" Her heart sped up as Finn turned his big brown eyes on her and smiled.

"I'm really glad I got to know you. You're like the little sister I never had."

Mercedes forced a smile on her face. "That's really sweet Finn." Inside, her heart felt like it had fallen to her feet. Later on that night, once she got home, she sobbed for hours, broken hearted.

**End Flashback**

After that confession, Mercedes brutally tamped down her feelings for Finn, allowing him to put her in the role of confidante and little sister. She had lost touch with both him and Kurt after graduation. If she could be honest with herself, she only kept in touch with Brittany, and by extension Santana, because they really had nothing to do with Kurt or Finn either. It hurt too much to think of him, or to be around people who would casually bring him up.

{What kind of coward are you? You're a multimillion dollar recording artist, and you're nervous to see one little boy from high school? Pull it together Diva!}

With a long-suffering sigh, Mercedes got out of bed to begin going through her available clothes. Her phone rang, and she picked it up without looking at it.

"Hello?"

"Mercy?"

A warm smile spread over Mercedes's face. "Hey Brit-brat."

"Did you talk to Holly?"

"Yes I did. I'll be there on Thursday. Are you sure you don't mind picking me up from the airport? I could rent a car or something."

"No, it's no trouble at all! We're really looking forward to seeing you, Mercy."

"Tell her to bring shoes!" Santana yelled in the background.

Mercedes laughed. "Your wife has a _major_ shoe fetish."

Brittany giggled. "I know. I love her anyway. So, what time does your flight come in?"

Mercedes gave Brittany the necessary flight information and hung up. She glanced at herself in the mirror. Ten years away from Lima's small minded perception of beauty had done her well. Her first day at Clark Atlanta University, she had merely walked down the street and literally stopped traffic. Her smile had graced many a magazine, and famous men publicly declared their attraction to her, so why in _hell_ was she nervous about going back to Lima?

Her phone rang again. "Hello?"

"Hey boo! Are you ready to step back into Hick Central next week?"

"Andre, hush, it's not that bad."

Mercedes's stylist made a scoffing noise. "You told me they thought pretty was only short, tiny and blonde. Sounds like Hick Central to me!" He softened his voice. "Are you sure you don't want me to go? I'm worried your hair might suffer."

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Honey, I did my hair on my own for how many years before I met you? But if it makes you feel better, you can braid it for me, so I don't have to mess with it."

"When?"

"Tomorrow's good. I've got the whole day free."

"Okay. I'll give you some micros, and we'll make them curly so you've got volume."

"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow."

The rest of the week passed in a blur, and Mercedes was soon seated on a plane awaiting the flight from Las Angeles to Dayton. Thankfully, the flight was so late at night that it was all but deserted, and the only person who asked for her autograph was a very discreet flight attendant. Upon arrival at Dayton, Mercedes got off the plane, and sashayed through the terminal, keeping a sharp eye out for Brittany.

"Mercy, over here!" Mercedes barely had time to steady herself as Brittany crashed into her and swept her into a huge hug. "Oh, I missed you!"

Mercedes smiled and hugged back. "I missed you too babe."

Brittany pulled away to give Mercedes a thorough look. "You look hot," she said bluntly.

Mercedes laughed. "Why thank you, so do you."

"Do you have luggage?"

"Yeah, a few pieces."

After collecting Mercedes's set of luggage, Brittany led her to her car, and they squeezed everything into the trunk. "Are you hungry or anything?"

"Not really, no. Just a little jet lagged."

"Okay. We fixed up the spare bedroom for you. You'll like it."

"Have you heard from anyone else?"

"Um...Santana mentioned that Puck was in town. He was going to stop by this evening, if you aren't too tired."

Mercedes grinned at the mention of Glee's former bad boy. "I'd love to see him. What does he do now?"

"He's a DJ and club promoter in Columbus. We went to one of his clubs. He's really good."

"Anyone else?"

"Mike is coming in from Dallas later today, Artie will be in from Boston. I told them both to give us a call and we could see about lunch or dinner or something. Tina, Rachel and Kurt are driving from New York together, they should probably get here tonight." Brittany bit her lip as she thought. "Oh yeah, Lauren and Finn are both coming in from Phoenix. I think Puck is picking them up."

"They both live in Phoenix?"

"Yeah, you didn't know? Lauren's a pro wrestler now, and Finn is her manager."

"Pro wrestler? Like WWE?"

Brittany nodded. "She's the current heavyweight champion."

"Women's heavyweight champion?"

Brittany shook her head. "No, men's."

Mercedes whistled under her breath. "Wow."

"Yeah, she's pretty bad ass."

"She's always been bad ass."

Brittany grinned. "True."

"What about Sam and Quinn?"

"Quinn and Sam still live here. They might come over when Puck does."

"So, are they together?"

"They got married last year."

Mercedes's jaw dropped for a second before she caught herself. "So, how are you and Santana fitting into Sue and Schue's old shoes?" Mercedes giggled at the unintended tongue twister.

"Santana loves barking orders at New Directions. She's kind of scary, but the kids love her. The Cheerios are close to another Nationals win, which I'm very proud of."

"That's great."

"And how about you? How's the music business?"

"It's great. I'm going on tour next year. I'll send you guys tickets for my Columbus show. You'll love it."

"Sounds great."

The rest of the ride was completed in companionable silence. When they pulled up, Santana dashed out to wrap Mercedes in a hug. "Hey Wheezy!"

"Hey J. Ho."

Santana ducked her head to check out Mercedes's stilettos. "Very cute. I approve."

"Good, because I bought you a pair in chocolate."

Santana grinned and the three girls gathered up Mercedes's luggage and got it inside and upstairs to the guest bedroom. "Puck called, wants to know if he can come over tonight. I told him it depended on how tired you were."

Mercedes shrugged. "I'll take a quick nap, and then be okay. Didn't you say something about seeing Mike and Artie for lunch?"

Brittany nodded. "You get some sleep, I'll handle the schedule."

Mercedes grinned at the two women, and disappeared into the bedroom.

Later on that night, as Mercedes crawled into bed, she reflected on how great it had felt to see everyone. Puck had all but crushed her ribs in his hug. He had matured immensely since high school, and was an all around nice guy now. Mike and Artie hadn't changed, both were still as sweet as ever, and Artie's wry comments had Mercedes cracking up all throughout their lunch. Mike, too, seemed to have grown an observant brand of humor over the years, and it was all Mercedes could do to avoid ruining her makeup from tears of hilarity.

Brittany knocked on the door and slid inside, Santana close behind. "So, tomorrow, Holly said we should be there by five. She's taking him to a movie, so she left Sam the house key," Santana explained, plopping next to Mercedes on the bed.

"I'm so excited to see everyone!" Brittany said, bouncing on the bed.

Mercedes smiled at Brittany affectionately. "Me too. Mr. Schue, excuse me, Will, is really going to be surprised."

Santana gnawed on her lip. "Wheezy, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"How come you didn't keep in touch with everyone after high school? From what I hear, we're the _only_ people you kept in steady contact with. I mean, I can understand some people, but even _Kurt_ got the ax. You guys were like soul mates or something."

Mercedes's smile faded. "It just happened. I can't explain it."

Santana rolled her eyes. "I can tell when someone's lying. I'm a teacher. What was the real reason?"

Mercedes gave a bitter chuckle. "I'm in love with Finn. After high school, you two were the only ones who didn't really keep in contact with him. I didn't want to hear how he was doing, or have constant reminders of him. I wanted to forget."

"You're in love with Finn?" Santana asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Mercedes cleared her throat. "I meant was."

Brittany and Santana exchanged a knowing look. "Well...will you be okay tomorrow?"

Mercedes waved her hand. "It's all in the past now. I'll be fine." She bit her lip to stave off a yawn.

Santana fluidly got off the bed. "Okay. Get some sleep Wheezy. See ya in the morning."

Brittany smiled. "Good night Mercedes."

"Night guys."

AN: That's the first chapter! What did you think?


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I'm so glad to have received such positive feedback! Thank you so much! More pairings will be revealed this chapter, hope you like them!

Chapter 2

In her ten year quest to become a household name, Mercedes learned something about herself. She loved heels. Chunky, skinny, two inch, five inch, it didn't matter, there was something about wearing heels that gave her an extra boost of confidence. She slid her feet into her shoes and straightened her breezy flutter sleeved dress. The warm orange color gave her skin an extra glow.

"Knock knock!" Brittany poked her head into the room. "Cute dress."

Mercedes fluffed up her curly braids and swiped some gloss on her lips. "Thanks."

"Don't let Santana see the shoes."

The shoes in question were four inch brown stilettos that showed off perfectly French pedicured toes, and made her legs look amazing. "I don't think I can help it. The woman is a shoe shark."

Brittany giggled. "Are you about ready? I don't want to miss the surprise part. It's my favorite."

Mercedes gave herself one last look in the mirror. "Yes, I'm ready." She caught sight of Brittany's outfit. "Very cute."

Brittany smoothed down the front of her asymmetrical little black dress. She had accessorized with a ton of silver jewelry.

"Mamis! Let's roll!" Santana called from the bottom of the stairs. The three women hurried out of the house and into Santana's car. Along the way, Santana questioned Mercedes mercilessly about her shoes. Santana parked at a predetermined spot down the street from the Schuester's to avoid arousing suspicion, and the girls walked to Will and Holly's house. Sam ushered them in.

"Find a spot to hide, quick! Holly just texted and said they were on their way!"

The trio quickly found hiding spots. Mercedes had been pulled around the corner by Puck, who gave her a quick, friendly kiss. "Hey Mama."

"Hey. Is everyone here already?"

Puck nodded. "Yeah, you ladies were the last to arrive."

Headlights shined through the window as a car pulled into the driveway. "Okay, everyone hush!"

Soft voices could be heard outside the door. A key slipped into the lock, and Holly and Will stepped inside. Holly turned on the lights, and everyone leaped out of their hiding places. "SURPRISE!"

Will looked completely flabbergasted. "What the? Sam? Rachel? _Mercedes_?"

"Happy retirement!" The former Glee kids exclaimed, crowding him in a group hug.

"You guys came all the way back to Lima just for my retirement?" Will said incredulously.

"Will, half of us wouldn't be anywhere without you. Of course we did!" Tina said, squeezing his hand.

"What are we waiting for?" Holly cried. "Let's PARTY!"

Mercedes sat down on the couch with Brittany and Santana, letting her gaze drift over her former classmates. Her gaze landed on Lauren, and she gasped. "Oh my God..."

Lauren had put on a _lot_ of muscle. She now strongly resembled former WWF wrestler Chyna. Puck was currently engaging her in conversation, while trying not to drool. "Did you just see Lauren?" Santana asked, smirking. "Puck is in for a world of hurt if he fucks her over."

Mercedes nodded. "She's changed. A lot."

A new voice spoke up, making her jump. "Yeah, Lauren had to make some changes to break into the big time."

"Hey Finn," Brittany and Santana chorused.

"Mercedes, you look beautiful," Finn said, giving her a smile. "You haven't changed at all."

Brittany and Santana fluidly moved from their seats. Finn sat down.

"Thank you, Finn. How have you been?" Mercedes balled her hands into fists, to hide their trembling.

"I've been great. Lauren is a really good client, and she keeps me busy. What about you? I saw your latest music video. It was great."

"I've been good, thank you."

"I don't suppose you've told Finn your reason for cutting us _both_ out of your life yet?" An ice cold voice spoke up. Mercedes winced.

"Hello Kurt."

"Mercedes, perhaps we could step outside and talk. I don't want to be responsible for ruining Will's retirement party," Kurt said frostily. He and Mercedes stepped out of the front door. Kurt folded his arms and fixed Mercedes with his coldest glare. "Ten years, Mercedes Jones. Ten long years, wondering what I had done, why you never even _attempted_ to contact me. I didn't even get a fucking _birthday card_ from you for my twenty first, and we had _sworn_ that we would go to Vegas for the occasion." He took a deep breath, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just tell me, what did I do wrong? Was it because I left the school? Was it because of Blaine?" He sounded completely broken.

Mercedes bowed her head. "Oh Kurt...no. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why, Sadie? You were my best friend, one of the only people I could really talk to. I thought we'd be friends forever." Kurt whispered painfully.

Mercedes shook her head. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Kurt sighed. "I'm sorry too. I feel like I just lost you all over again."

Mercedes tried her best to blink back tears. "Oh Kurt, please don't say that. I want us to be friends again. I really do."

"How can we be friends if you won't tell me what disturbed you so bad that you stopped talking to me?" Kurt said harshly. "How can I fix the problem, make amends if you won't let me?"

Mercedes was crying now, biting her lip to hold back sobs. "Please don't do this Kurt. Please."

"Don't do what? Try to be your friend again? We _never_ kept secrets from each other! You told me _everything_ and then you just _stopped_! What the hell, Mercedes?"

Mercedes gave in to the sobs building up in her chest. "I was in love with Finn. It hurt too much to hear you talk about him, so I stopped talking to you. Do you know how much it hurt? Loving someone who thought of you as a sister? Someone you knew would _never_ look at you as anything other than family? I couldn't live like that any more, so after high school, I stopped talking to everyone who had ties to him."

To say Kurt was shocked would have been a gross understatement. His jaw dropped, his eyes bulged, and for one brief moment, he gasped for air. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was the point? It wouldn't have changed things. Face it, he likes his girls skinny and light."

"Because it would have helped alleviate some of the pain. Oh Sadie, you carried this around by yourself? You shouldn't have had to." Kurt tilted Mercedes' chin up, and wiped her face.

"Can you forgive me? I didn't mean to hurt you. I just thought it was what I needed."

Kurt gave her a smile, and smoothed her braids away from her face. "Of course I can," he said softly, kissing her forehead. He grunted as Mercedes crushed him in a hug.

"Thank you so much, Kurt."

"For what?"

Mercedes smiled. "Listening."

Kurt smiled. "Anytime. But I do have one question."

"Ask away."

"Are you still in love with Finn?"

Mercedes hesitated, and looked down. "No, it's been ten years."

"Liar."

Mercedes' head shot up. "What?"

Kurt sighed. "I learned in my psych class, when someone is lying, they look down and to the left. There's no shame in being in love with Finn. When you really, truly love someone, it doesn't go away."

Mercedes' eyes widened. "Oh."

Kurt shrugged. "You can't really hide anything from me, Ms. Jones. I won't tell him, but, come on, let's get back inside."

Grinning, the two reunited friends headed back inside. Rachel was regaling Sam and Quinn with tales of her quest for Broadway fame. Quinn looked over at Mercedes, panic written on her features. Giggling, Mercedes interceded. "Rachel, honey, I'm sorry, but I need to borrow Quinn. She hasn't told me about my nephews yet!"

Sam shot them both a dirty look as they walked away. Quinn chuckled. "Thanks Mercy, I really was getting bored."

"Poor Sam."

"Not for long, Artie is saving him." Quinn turned back to Mercedes expectantly. "So, how have you been? I've missed you. Santana and Brittany kept me updated, but it just wasn't the same."

Mercedes smiled sheepishly. "I've been good. Working my ass off."

Quinn rested a slender hand on Mercedes' cheek. "But are you happy?" She asked softly, staring deep into the diva's eyes.

"I'm working on it," Mercedes answered truthfully.

Quinn smiled gently. "Good."

Mercedes tried her best to avoid Finn for the whole evening. She thought she had done an excellent job of it, until he cornered her when she stepped out of the bathroom.

"Are you and Kurt friends again?"

Mercedes nodded, forcing a friendly smile. "Yeah, we got everything cleared up."

Finn nodded. "That's good. Do you think, that while I'm here, we could go out to lunch or something? I missed you."

Mercedes caught Kurt giving her an encouraging look. "We can. How long are you here for?"

"Four days."

"Great, well, day after next, let's get some lunch at that Greek place down from your old house. I remember you used to love that place."

Mercedes nodded. "Sure, that sounds fine."

"Okay, here's my business card. It has my cell on it, just in case you change your mind."

Mercedes looked up at Finn sharply. He looked hopeful and resigned at the same time. Mercedes summed up a smile for him. "I won't change my mind."

Finn grinned. "Great! I'll see you then."

The party continued well into the night. At around one, everyone began leaving, after hugging the Schuesters and giving them more good wishes.

Once Santana, Brittany and Mercedes were in the car, Santana gave Mercedes a look. "You okay?"

Mercedes nodded. "Yeah. We're going out to lunch day after next."

"Will you be okay with that?" Brittany asked softly.

Mercedes let out a long sigh. "I hope so."

Santana exchanged a meaningful glance with Brittany. "It can't be that bad, if you don't love him any more."

Mercedes stared out the window. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. I'm always right," Santana said loftily.

Mercedes snorted. "Whatever ."

"Shut it, _Wheezy_," Santana snapped back, grinning.

The three women burst into giggles.

The day of the 'not-date' saw Mercedes on the phone with Andre, freaking out. "Well, what should I wear? I don't want to look desperate, or like I'm trying too hard!"

Andre's laughter came through loud and clear. "Honey, you are a multi-platinum recording artist. Overdoing it is part of the perks! You can wear whatever you want, and nobody there is going to say anything to you because you're _Mercedes mother-freaking Jones_."

"You're not helping," Mercedes growled.

"Calm down, Divalicious! I'm thinking...What's the weather like?"

"It's fairly warm, but there's a nice breeze here and there."

Andre helped Mercedes decide on a hot pink, knee length sundress with a black shrug, and black and pink stiletto sandals. She accessorized with chunky silver bangles, hoops and a necklace, along with her ever present nose stud. After sending Andre a picture of her ensemble, Mercedes made her way out the front door. Brittany had left her car and keys for Mercedes' use, after making her swear she would give them complete details when they got off work.

The Greek restaurant hadn't changed much since Mercedes left. The owners hadn't changed, but the wait staff had. Mercedes had the pleasure of seeing one of the young waitresses nearly drop the water glass she had in hand. She rushed up to Mercedes, napkin and pen in hand.

"You're Mercedes Jones! Oh my God, I loved your latest album! Can you sign this for me, please? Oh, you're even prettier in person than you are on the net!"

Mercedes smiled. "Sure, Melanie. Should I make it out to you?"

"Yes please."

Mercedes signed the napkin with a flourish, and handed it back.

"Would you please, please, _please_ sit in my section?"

Mercedes shrugged. "Sure. I am waiting for someone, though."

"What do they look like? I'll spot them and bring them over."

"He's very tall, dark haired, light complexioned."

"Got it! Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?"

"An unsweetened tea would be great."

Melanie hurried off, and Mercedes began flipping through her phone. Her agent and big brother, James, had sent her a text, which she responded to; and one of her favorite leading men had sent her a text too, inquiring as to when she'd be back in L.A. She decided to hold off on a response to that one.

"Right this way sir."

Mercedes looked up and smiled as Melanie showed Finn to her table, and set Mercedes' iced tea on the table.

Finn smiled. "Hey. You beat me here."

"Brit and San don't live too far. How are you?"

"I'm fine," He turned to Melanie, "May I have a Coke please?"

Melanie nodded and bounced off. "So, tell me about the WWE. Sounds exciting."

"Only if you're a superstar like Lauren. If you're an agent, it's pretty boring."

"Really? You don't have to hobnob with celebrities and all that other stuff?"

Finn shrugged. "On occasion. Lauren has some pretty ardent fans in the celebrity world, and every so often I'll get a call from one of their agents to set up a meet and greet."

"Really?"

Finn nodded. Melanie approached them, and they placed their orders. "Well, what about you, Mercy?"

Mercedes smiled and shrugged. "It's hectic. There's always something going on, but I love it."

Finn nodded seriously. "I bet. My mom just loves your music."

"Really?"

"I think it's mostly because she liked you so much."

"That's so sweet of her. How are she and Papa Burt?"

"They're doing great. They ask about you all the time."

Mercedes bit her lip and looked down at her lap. "I miss them."

"They'd love to see you. They still live in the same house."

"Really? You didn't tell them..."

"That you stopped talking to me and Kurt? No. We just told them that your parents moved, and you hadn't had many chances to come back to Lima."

"Do you think they'd mind if I stopped by while I'm here?"

"Mind? They'd be thrilled. I'll call them after I'm done eating. They're usually home around six or so."

"Great." Mercedes toyed with her salad. "Finn? Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Did you ever think I was pretty in high school?"

Finn paused, a forkful of rice halfway to his lips. "What prompted this?"

"High school insecurities. I was the only member of Glee to _never_ have a relationship. I didn't get a real boyfriend until I was in college in Atlanta.

Finn placed his fork down. "Honestly? I thought you were gorgeous."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I figured I didn't have a chance in hell. Like with Puck. He wanted to seriously date you at one point, but he figured you wouldn't give him the time of day."

Mercedes' jaw was hanging open. She closed it with a snap, cheeks burning slightly. "Wow."

"So..." Finn's ears were beginning to turn red. "Would I have had a chance? Back then, I mean."

Mercedes took a sip of her drink, eyes on her salad. "Yes," she said softly. She missed the huge grin the spread across Finn's face.

"What about now?"

Mercedes' head shot up. "What?"

"Would I have a chance now?"

Mercedes looked completely flabbergasted. "I...I don't know."

"Why don't we find out? We can go on a real date, and if sparks are there, then we can go from there. If there aren't any, no harm, no foul," Finn said rationally.

"Well...when you put it that way..." Mercedes shrugged, trying to ignore how hard her heart was pounding. "We can give it a try." She discreetly wiped her sweaty palms on the napkin in her lap.

"Great! So, why don't we get together tomorrow for dinner or something?"

Mercedes smiled. "Breadstix?"

"Why not? If Santana hasn't cleaned them out of breadsticks, of course."

Mercedes chuckled. "True."

"So, I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow night?"

"Seven's fine." Mercedes waved Melanie over and asked for the check. After the check was settled, Mercedes and Finn headed out the door.

"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Mercedes nodded, and walked to her car. "Bye Finn."

Once in the car, she let out a huge sigh. "Andre is gonna _flip_," she muttered to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks everyone for your reviews! I really appreciate it!

Chapter 3

The day of the first date found Mercedes sitting on her bed, while Santana, Brittany and Kurt were gathered around her suitcases, while Andre sat in via webcam on Mercedes' mobile phone.

"Guys? I _can_ dress myself, you know."

Kurt waved his hand. "You, hush. We'll figure this out."

Mercedes closed her mouth with a snap. Brittany pulled out a gorgeous peacock blue shirt. "Oh," she said softly, eyes wide. Kurt grabbed it from her. The neckline draped, the sleeves fluttered, and all in all, it was a work of art.

"This is _perfect_."

Santana snagged a delicate silver and sapphire necklace. "This would be nice."

Kurt pulled out a pair of wide legged white linen pants. Andre grinned.

"I see that Miss Jones is in _very_ capable hands."

"Of course she is." Santana winked at Andre impishly.

"She should wear her hair up with that shirt, and do something sexy with her makeup. Make sure she calls me when she gets home."

"We will."

"Mercy?"

"Finally, you guys acknowledge my presence!"

"Have fun tonight, and remember, good girls don't put out on the first date!" Andre blew her a kiss, and the screen went dark.

Santana, Brittany and Kurt descended on Mercedes like a flock of mother hens. Mercedes was sent off to the bathroom to shower while they worked on the rest of the details. When the diva was back, skin glowing from the shea butter Santana swore she was going to steal, they had the entire outfit picked out. Mercedes dressed, and slipped her feet into her baddest pair of heels yet. They were a full five inches, white, and were decorated with silver zippers. To quote Santana, they looked like 'something an naughty angel/dominatrix would wear'. Brittany twisted Mercedes's hair into an elegant chignon, and Santana gave Mercedes a very sultry smoky eye, while Kurt painted her lips with a delicate bronze gloss that was 'guaranteed not to come off'.

"Mercy, you look like a model," Brittany breathed.

Mercedes looked at herself in the mirror. "You know, I don't look half bad. If any of you are ever out a job, Andre could probably use you."

Brittany giggled. "No thanks. LA would be too fast paced."

"I'm a firm New Yorker by now." Kurt said. "But, next time you're in town, you make sure to call me."

A knock on the door made them all jump. Brittany squealed. "That must be Finn! I'll go get it."

Santana grabbed a bottle of perfume and sprayed it on Mercedes' pulse points, filling the room with the heady fragrance of spice and Oriental poppies.

Brittany bounced back up the stairs. "Finn's here."

"Great. I'll be right down," Mercedes gave herself one last long look, before letting out a long sigh. "There's no need to be nervous, right? It's just Finn..."

Kurt rested his chin delicately on the shorter woman's shoulder. "He already acknowledged that he thought you were pretty. You've got this in the bag."

Mercedes smiled fondly at Kurt. "I really missed you."

"Well, get going! Me, Brit and San are gonna have a sleepover while we wait up for you."

Santana smirked. "Remember what Andre said. Good girls don't put out on the first date."

"How would you know?" Mercedes snapped back, grinning. She smoothed down her shirt, and headed downstairs. It gratified her to see Finn sitting nervously on the couch. He shot up as he caught sight of Mercedes.

"Holy..." Finn's eyes traveled over her body, lingering at her shoes, before snapping up to her face. "You look beautiful, Mercy."

"Thank you. You look very nice." Finn's ears turned red. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and a hunter green dress shirt. He had a meticulously knotted black silk tie around his neck, and shiny black dress shoes.

"Thanks. So, um, ready to go?"

"Sure, let me just grab my purse." After grabbing her little silver clutch, they left, pretending not to hear the excited giggles of the peanut gallery.

"How was your day?" Finn asked, once they were in the car.

"Pretty fun actually. Kurt spent the day with me, and we caught up on a lot of stuff. What about you?"

"Spent most of it going over business contracts. It's almost time for the WWE draft, and Smackdown wants Lauren on their show, so I'm just trying to figure out which move would be most beneficial to her."

Mercedes wrinkled her nose. "Aren't you guys supposed to be on vacation?"

Finn tapped out a nonchalant beat on the steering wheel. "Technically, no. Lauren's not going to be in next week's episode, so we had some free time. I'd like to take a vacation though. Haven't had one since this whole thing started."

"Really? Sounds like you're overdue."

"Definitely. I was thinking about renting a house out in St. Bart's or something for a few weeks."

"You'll love it. I shot a video there once, and it was amazing."

"Really? I don't suppose you have any knowledge of rental properties out there?"

Mercedes shook her head. "No, but I'm sure I can find you some."

Finn parked the car, and hurried around to open Mercedes' door. "That would be great." He led her into the restaurant, where they were seated and handed menus.

"I can call my travel agent tomorrow, and put him in touch with you," Mercedes said before opening the menu.

"I'd really appreciate that."

The waiter approached them, smile fairly plastered on his face. "Hello, I'm Jason, and I'll be your-Hudson? _Jones_?"

Mercedes' jaw dropped. She and Finn exchanged bewildered glances. "_Azimio_?"

"Um...hi."

"Awkward..." Finn muttered.

Azimio cleared his throat. "Would you like to hear our wine specials? We have an excellent chardonnay tonight that goes very well with the chef's special, which is grilled chicken with lemongrass and feta, seasonal vegetables, all in a light cream sauce."

"Do you drink at all?" Finn asked.

"Yes. The chardonnay sounds great. I'll have a glass of that."

"I'll have a merlot, thanks."

Azimio left, and Mercedes and Finn exchanged bewildered glances again. "I keep forgetting how small Lima is," Mercedes murmured.

"It's too small, if you ask me."

"Amen."

Azimio set a salad bowl down on the table, along with their respective drinks and individual bowls. "Are you ready to order?"

Mercedes and Finn placed their orders, before returning to their conversation. "Let's talk about something else," Mercedes said, waving a hand airily.

"We could talk about how amazing you look tonight," Finn suggested, giving her a sweet smile.

Mercedes ducked her head with a smile. "Thank you."

"I thought you'd be used to compliments by now."

"I am, but...it's different when it comes from someone that actually knew me before I was famous. When you're a big name, everyone's gonna tell you you're beautiful, even if they don't really mean it. With you, I know you mean it."

"I want to make up for lost time with you. I feel like I wasted high school thinking you would never be interested, then there were the ten years that went by without talking to you..."

"We don't have to make up for lost time...I mean, we're on friendly terms now, and that's all that matters."

"I suppose," Finn said thoughtfully. "You know..." He trailed off as his food was set in front of him.

Mercedes bowed her head to say grace before picking up her fork and knife. "You were saying?"

"Nothing important," Finn said, hurriedly taking a bite of his food.

"So, is Puck interested in Lauren?"

Finn shook his head. "Nah, he was just shocked. Not that I can blame him. Nobody had really seen her since high school. He's got a girlfriend, and Lauren's almost engaged."

"I didn't know that."

"Yeah, he's another wrestler, signed to WWE."

"And what about Tina and Mike? Are they still together?"

"Not officially. Tina's so busy designing for the Haus of Gucci, and Mike's always hopping across the world."

"He's a...choreographer?"

"One of the best."

"And Artie said he was a computer programmer."

Finn nodded. "He's good, too. He's Mark Zuckerberg's right hand man."

"Wow."

"So, what are your plans once you get back to LA?"

"Hopping in the recording studio. I have a few ideas for my new album, and then I have to start planning for my USA tour next year."

"New songs? I don't suppose a rediscovered friend and date warrants a listen?" Finn asked, grinning.

"It's all just up in the air right now, but there's a duet I've been working on."

"Really? What's it called?"

"No title yet, but it's about how you can forget about your significant other when life gets too hectic. I'm thinking about calling it 'Far Away'."

"Who would you get to sing the male part?"

"I actually wrote it with Anthony Mendenhall in mind."

She had named a very popular r&b singer, and Finn nodded. "Haven't listened to too much of his music, but I understand he's really good."

"Yeah, we met last year, and I've been dying to work with him ever since."

Their dinner plates were removed and Azimio stood over them, fake smile in place. "Can I get you any dessert?"

Finn and Mercedes exchanged glances. "Do you want to split something?" Finn asked shyly.

Mercedes shook her head. "No, I'm stuffed."

"We'll just take the check please."

Azimio headed off, annd Finn and Mercedes resumed staring at each other. "So, when do you leave?" Finn asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon."

Finn looked disappointed. "Oh. Well, you know, maybe we can keep in touch now."

Mercedes smiled softly. "I'd like that."

Finn settled the check, and led Mercedes out of the restaurant. They chatted softly during the drive to the Lopez-Pierce residence and Finn politely walked Mercedes up to the door. "I hope you had a good time. I did."

"Me too."

"I hope one of these days we can get together and do it again."

Mercedes smiled. "I'd really like it if we could."

Finn smiled. "Great. Well, would you mind calling me tomorrow after you get back to LA, so I know you made it okay?"

"I'll do that."

Finn stepped forward and placed a kiss on Mercedes' forehead. "Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay. Good night."

Mercedes stepped into the house, and was immediately step upon by Kurt, Brittany and Santana. "Okay, so what happened?" Santana asked.

"Can I change into something more comfortable first?" Mercedes said, laughing. The trio let her go put on pajamas, and when she came back downstairs, she was herded onto the sofa and pumped for information.

"He's into you," Brittany said after Mercedes was done with the retelling.

Kurt nodded. "He wants to see you again, even though you don't live close to each other. He's definitely interested."

"You got no tongue action?" Santana said, pouting.

"I don't put out on the first date, remember?"

"Kissing isn't putting out. It's kissing."

"Either way, no, nothing happened."

Santana sighed. "Oh well."

"You're a hot mess, you know that?"


	4. Chapter 4

An: I'm very pleased that you guys are enjoying this fic! I hope it continues to be enjoyable!

Disclaimer: Nothing is what I own, nothing is what you'd get from suing me.

Chapter 4

Mercedes was currently getting a deep tissue massage. She used these moments to do her deep thinking. It was probably the only time she wasn't surrounded by tons of people or being hounded by the paparazzi.

As her masseuse worked out a particularly tough knot, her mind drifted to Finn. Truthfully, Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome hadn't been very far from her mind lately. It'd been a month since Mr. Schue's retirement party, and she and Finn had managed either a phone call or text message every night. He made her laugh, and helped keep her grounded and positive. It was really hard being r&b's It Girl, and between her family, Finn and Kurt, she felt that she was still the same girl she had always been.

Kurt was another matter entirely. His steady texts and calls kept her giggling constantly. His astute observations on some of her peers were tear-inducing, and Mercedes loved to tell her brother about them in their weekly 'meetings'.

"Miss Jones? Your massage is finished. If you would like to stay in here for a little while longer, you may. Just see the receptionist before you leave for another appointment."

"Thanks Serena." Mercedes got up with a sigh, and headed to the dressing room, where she pulled on her clothes before heading to the front of the spa to make sure they had her down for next week. After that, she hopped in her daytime car, a Prius. She also had a nighttime car, a brand new Maserati GranTourismo Convertible Sport, but she chose to save it for awards shows and moments where a little flash was necessary. Her phone rang while she was driving, and she pressed a button to answer it via the car's speakers. "Hello?"

"Hey Angel."

Mercedes could not stop the smile that spread across her face. Finn had taken to calling her Angel, after her middle name, Angelique. "Hey Finn."

"I'm guessing I caught you after your weekly massage?"

"Yeah. What's up?"

"Well, Raw's coming to LA next week, and I was hoping I could see you. Maybe take you out to dinner?"

Mercedes' eyes lit up like stars. "That would be great!"

"So, why don't you pick the place? My flight lands in LA at six o clock Friday evening. I thought we could do dinner on Saturday?" Mercedes could hear his hesitance through the phone. "Maybe we could spend the day together, if you aren't busy?"

"I'll clear my schedule, just for you, okay?"

"Great. So, I guess I'll see you Saturday? What time is good for you?"

"Um...why don't we say one? That way we could do lunch while we're sightseeing and dinner at seven? What hotel are you staying in? I'll pick you up."

"I'm staying at the Hilton, and one is perfect. I guess I'll see you then?"

"It's a date."

"Okay, bye Angel."

"Bye Finn."

Mercedes immediately dialed Andre. "I need your help! I need two _killer_ outfits by Saturday."

"What's the occasion?"

"Finn's coming in."

Andre squealed. "Where are you?"

"I'm headed home."

"I'll meet you there in twenty."

Mercedes pulled into her garage, thirty minutes later, cursing LA's traffic. Andre's Cadillac was already there. He had let himself in, and fixed them both some iced tea. Mercedes sat down at the bar that separated the kitchen and dining room.

Andre's caramel complexioned face was all but glowing. "So, spill!"

Mercedes gave him the rundown, and Andre let out what sounded suspiciously like a cackle. "Oh, great! Where are you gonna take him?"

Mercedes shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. I know I want to show him around the city while he's here, but I have no idea where we're gonna eat at."

Andre rolled his big hazel eyes. "Girl, what would you do without me? You're gonna cook that man a nice dinner with your own two hands."

"What?"

"Come on! What better way to impress him than a delicious gourmet meal you made?" He gave her a deep look. "I _know_ Mama Jones taught you some 'he's gonna love your dirty drawers' type cooking."

Mercedes burst into laughter. "Boy, you are so _country_!"

"Excuse me, Miss Jones, but Atlanta is _not_ country. We're an oasis in a land of rednecks, thank you ma'am!" He bit his lip to keep from laughing, as Mercedes burst into laughter so hard that she began to cry. She buried her face in her hands, and just sobbed with laughter. Shaking his head, Andre joined in her laughter.

Finally, after about ten minutes of nonstop laughs, they calmed down enough to get back to business. "I'll call Kurt. He should know what kind of foods Finn likes, or doesn't like."

Andre nodded. "You do that."

Luckily, Kurt was available to talk. "Hey Mercy, what's up?"

"I need to know Finn's favorite foods and if he's allergic to anything. He's coming to visit, and _Andre_ has this crazy idea that I should cook him dinner."

"That's a good idea. Andre is a genius! Finn loves Italian, and he's allergic to shellfish. I think he likes tomato sauces better than cream, and he likes beef over chicken. He also likes things to be simple. Nothing fancy, or too complicated."

Mercedes nibbled on her lower lip. "Okay." She heard Kurt take a sharp breath.

"Didn't you bring in baked spaghetti for one of our Glee potlucks? Finn raved about that for days."

Mercedes' face lit up. "You're right, I did. That would be perfect with some garlic bread and maybe a salad. Not complicated, and he already likes it. Kurt, boo, you are a genius."

"I try. Anyway, I have to get back to work, just call me Sunday and let me hear about your date, kay? Love you diva."

"Love ya diva." Mercedes hung up the phone, jubilant. "Well, that worked out better than I thought. I'll make that now, so I don't have to do anything but warm it up tomorrow."

Andre tugged her from her seat. "And after you do that, we can focus on finding you something to wear."

By the time Andre left, it was close to midnight, and Mercedes was _exhausted_. She fell into bed, attempting to get a few hours of sleep before she had to get up and prepare for her appearance on the Ricky Smiley morning show.

Early in the morning found Mercedes sitting in the guest chair at the studio. The host had Mercedes in stitches, and it was several seconds before she had calmed down enough to answer the question Ebony, a co-host, had asked.

"Are you working on any new songs?"

Mercedes wiped tears from her eyes. "Actually, I do have a duet in the works with Anthony Mendenhall. We're working on some video concepts, and the song is going to be premiered on this station later on in the week."

"What's the name of the song?"

"Far Away."

"I don't suppose our listening fam could get a little sneak peak?" Rickey asked, winking broadly.

Mercedes smiled. "Of course. I can sing the chorus for you." She hummed the melody for a little bit, and launched into the chorus. "I wanna go to a place where only lovers go, do the things that lovers do, a sweet caress from me to you. I wanna do the things we used to do, say the things we used to say. Just lay all day, everyday, far away from here."

She received very enthusiastic feedback from the hosts of the show, as well as the callers that fairly blew up the lines.

"So, one more question, and we'll be out of time. Is there anyone special in your life as of right now?" Janelle asked.

Mercedes shook her head, smiling. "Not really."

"Not really? A lady only uses the term 'not really' when she's 'not really' sure how a certain somebody feels," Rickey said slyly.

Mercedes giggled. "You've got it. I don't want to get my hopes up, so I'm keeping everything quiet. Trust me, if I'm in a relationship, the world will know."

Rickey gave her a knowing smile before leaning into the mic. "That's all the time we have today with the lovely Miss Mercedes Jones. Remember, her next single drops exclusively on hot 101.8 on Friday."

"Thank you for having me, and thanks to all the listeners out there who made my next album possible! I love you guys and God bless!"

Mercedes was hustled out of the radio station and to the recording studio, her 'home away from home' for the rest of the week.

By the time Saturday rolled around, Mercedes wasdog-tired. She dragged herself out of bed at eleven, managed a polite 'Good Morning' to her maid, and stumbled into the bathroom, clutching the outfit Andre had picked up. Her fashion coordinator burst into the bathroom scarce minutes after that, very nearly causing the accidental death of one r&b diva via heart attack.

"ANDRE! The hell's wrong with you?"

"You're used to it!"

"Not the point! Don't you ever knock?" Mercedes yelled over the glass door of the shower.

"Calm yo tits, woman. I'm here to help you get ready."

Mercedes turned off the shower and wrapped her towel snugly around her body before stepping out of the shower and asking incredulously, "Did you just tell me to 'calm my tits'?"

Andre shrugged, managing to look put together and wide awake, even leaning against the sink. "I thought it fit the moment. Hurry up and get your unmentionables on, Miss ma'am, we need to get you ready. What time are y'all supposed to get together?"

"One."

Andre made a motion to the sink. "Well, you finish all this stuff, and then I'll take over."

Mercedes completed the rest of her ablutions and met Andre in her bedroom. He motioned for her to get dressed. After she did so, putting on the breezy pale yellow tunic shirt and electric blue leggings he had picked out, he buried his hands in her hair. "Dre, should I wear it up or down?"

"Hmmm...I'd say up in a ponytail. Let me curl it a little, give it some body, and we'll move on to makeup and your shoes. I think your yellow sandals would be perfect."

Twelve thirty found Mercedes all but worshiping Andre as he put the finishing touches on her curly ponytail and checked her makeup one last time. "I swear, you are a magician."

"I know, come on, let's get you to your car and on the way." They walked out to the garage and Andre gave Mercedes a hug. "Let me know how it goes. Why don't we do brunch tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'll call you."

"You better."

Mercedes made her way to the Hilton, and sent Finn a text. {I'm outside, don't want to make a fuss by coming in. Silver Prius parked across the street.}

Not two minutes after she sent the text, she caught sight of Finn jogging over to her car. He had dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, and his hair was a tad on the messy side, which Mercedes found adorable. He hopped in the car, leaning over to give her a one armed hug and kiss on the cheek. "Hey beautiful."

"Hey yourself. How was your flight last night?"

"Not bad. Lauren says hi by the way. So, what are the plans for today?"

"Well, I figured we could do a little sightseeing. I can show you all the touristy places...What would you like to do?"

"Hmm...is it okay for you to be out and about without body guards?"

Mercedes jerked her thumb backwards. "They're in the car behind us. They're sweet guys, very discreet. So, where to?"

Finn's stomach growled, and Mercedes giggled. "Okay, that answers that question. So, for your first taste of L.A., let's go to a taco truck!"

"Sounds great."

Mercedes found her favorite taco truck, and ordered something for herself and Finn, as well as her two bodyguards, Jules and Francis. Mercedes led Finn to a bench, where they ate in companionable silence, save for Finn's exclamations of 'Wow!' and 'Delicious!'

Mercedes wiped her mouth as she finished. "Okay, so where to now?"

Finn flushed. "Well...I kinda wanted to go to Knott's Berry Farm."

Mercedes grinned. "I don't know if eating before was a good idea, but we can definitely do that."

Finn beamed. "Great!" He followed Mercedes to her car, and they waited for her bodyguards to get into their car before heading off.

"So, how is everything? I'm starting to get into watching Raw, but it's so weird seeing Lauren be the ultimate villain."

"Work is fine, pretty relaxing now. I meant to tell you, your travel agent got me a great deal on a house in St. Bart's. I go on vacation in two months."

"That's great! I'm glad I could help you out."

"If you aren't busy, you could fly down for a few days."

Mercedes gave Finn a sidelong glance. "Boy, if you wanted to see me in a swimsuit, all you had to do was ask."

Finn blushed. "It's not that! I just really would like your company."

Mercedes smiled. "If I can get away with it, I'd love to come."

"So, how's the new album coming along?"

"Pretty good. We just released the first single 'Far Away'."

"I got it off iTunes yesterday," Finn admitted. "You sound amazing."

"Thanks. Working with Anthony was a dream. He was such a professional."

"So, I don't suppose I get a sneak listen to any of the other songs on the album?" Finn asked slyly.

"I'm doing a cover of my mom's favorite gospel song if you want to hear it."

"Sure."

After a rendition of 'His Eye Is On the Sparrow' that gave Finn chills, Mercedes pulled into the parking lot of Knott's Berry Farm.

"Your mom is gonna be really proud." Finn said before they got out of the car.

"Thanks."

Finn grabbed her hand as they walked up to the park entrance. "So, have you been here before?"

"Yeah, I took my nieces and nephews when they came to visit. We had a good time."

"So, you'll go on all the roller coasters with me, right?"

Mercedes winced. "Um..."

Finn nudged her with his shoulder. "Come on, Angel, live a little. I'll hold your hand."

"Promise?" They got their tickets and a map and headed for the closest roller coaster.

"I promise."

True to word, Finn held Mercedes' hand as he took her on every roller coaster he could go on until the park closed. In between rides they played games and Finn won Mercedes a large stuffed Tweety Bird. By the time they left the park, Mercedes' face hurt from laughing so much. Finn was no help, as he was giving her a detailed reenactment of her reactions to each roller coaster.

"I didn't know you could hit a high C," Finn teased.

Mercedes was almost bent double as they approached her car. "Oh God, I can't laugh any more! Stop, please!"

Finn wrapped an arm around her. "Sorry. You okay?"

Mercedes nodded, and unlocked the car. "I'm fine. Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"Well, I'm making baked spaghetti, garlic bread and salad. Sound okay?"

"Sounds great!"

On the way back to Mercedes' house, she asked if he had spoken with any of the former Gleeks lately. "I haven't heard from Rachel or Mike and Tina lately."

Finn nodded. "Rachel is doing fine. She's dating one of her costars in Les Miserables. Mike is in Ireland right now, and Tina is busy designing for Gucci. I went in a Gucci store while I was in New York, and did you know it was like a thousand dollars for a wallet? Who the hell pays that much for a wallet?"

Mercedes giggled. "A lot of people, or else Tina would be out of a job."

"I guess."

Mercedes pulled into her garage, and Finn gave a strangled sort of squeak. "Is that...a Maserati GranTourismo convertible?"

Mercedes nodded and got out of the car. "Yeah. It was a birthday present to myself. Do you like it?"

Finn gingerly reached out and touched a mirror. "Do I like it? Angel, men have _dreams_ about these kinds of cars. Most of them never even get to touch one."

Mercedes wrapped her arms around Finn's waist, and leaned up to whisper, "I'll let you drive it after dinner."

Finn stiffened, and he slowly looked down at Mercedes, eyes wide. "_Seriously_?"

Mercedes shrugged, and began leading him away from the car. "Yes, seriously. After we eat though, I'm really hungry." 

Finn gave the bright yellow car one last longing look before following Mercedes into her spacious house.

"I just have to put the baked spaghetti in the oven to heat with the garlic bread, and get out the stuff for the salad. You can just have a seat in the dining room."

"I can put the salad together. I don't want you to do all the work."

"Okay. The stuff is in the fridge."

They worked in silence, Mercedes flitting around, putting the finishing touches on the baked spaghetti before she put it in the oven, and Finn chopping up the cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots for the salad. Once the salad was done, Mercedes set the table, and got out a bottle of merlot.

Finn smiled. "My favorite."

Mercedes winked. "I remember. Sit down, the spaghetti's almost done."

Finn sat, and Mercedes presented him with a plate piled high with her signature baked spaghetti, salad, and two pieces of garlic bread. She poured them both some wine, and they sat down to eat. Finn restrained himself from eating while Mercedes said grace, then dug in. He rolled his eyes in appreciation. "This is amazing, Angel."

"Glad you like it. Let me know if you're still hungry, there's plenty."

"You're a really good cook." Finn said admiringly.

"Thanks," Mercedes said, smiling at him from across the table. "So, when are you gonna return the favor?"

"Maybe if you come see me in St. Bart's. I do a mean steak."

Mercedes quirked an eyebrow. "Are you blackmailing me with steak?"

Finn smiled and shook his head. "No, I just really want you to visit."

Mercedes ducked her head. "Really?"

"Well, yeah. I like spending time with you. I wish we could see each other more often."

"Me too. It's just...we're both really busy all the time." Mercedes nibbled on her lower lip.

"Sometimes being an adult sucks," Finn said ruefully.

Mercedes nodded, eyes sad. She stood up abruptly. "Do you want some more?"

"No thanks, I'm full. I'll help you clean up."

Finn gathered up his plate and followed Mercedes into the kitchen. The petite diva was very subdued as she flitted around the kitchen. She piled the dishes into the sink, and began running water.

"Aren't you going to use the dishwasher?"

Mercedes shook her head. "I'd rather wash them by hand."

"I'll dry."

They worked in silence for some time until Finn put down the dishcloth decisively.

"Angel, is something wrong?"

Mercedes paused. "How could we have a real relationship when we're both so busy?" She asked quietly.

"Just because we both have full schedules doesn't mean we can't try."

"What's the point? We'll never see each other, never get to spend time with each other..."

"We've been dealing so far."

"Yeah, but this is just us as friends. A relationship is a whole 'nother ball game."

Finn gently turned Mercedes to face him. "Let me ask you one question. Do you think we have potential?"

"Yes."

"Then we should give it a shot. There's video chat, texting, phone calls, all sorts of things we can do. I don't _have_ to travel with Lauren all the time. I just do that because she gets so many offers from other wrestling organizations. I can't promise I'll be around twenty-four/seven, but I really think that if this is what we both want, it can be done." Finn cupped Mercedes' cheek, and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "What do you think?"

Mercedes gave him a small smile. "We can try."

Finn wrapped her into a tight hug, smiling at the way her curves fit so perfectly against his body. "That's all I ask."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Small continuity errors have been fixed, thanks to mrsdarrencriss89!

Chapter 5

Mercedes was laying on her bed, watching Andre fling clothes into a suitcase. "I think you're more nervous than I am," she said, rolling over onto her back.

"Of course I'm nervous! If your clothes aren't effing perfect, how do you think that's going to make me look? It's my _job_ to make you look fabulous! If Finn's jaw doesn't drop at least once a day, I should be fired." Andre held up a pink sundress. "I think you should wear lots of dresses. It'll be pretty, and it wouldn't kill you to show the boy some skin."

"If you had your way, I'd be the biggest hoochie mama."

Andre sniffed. "No you wouldn't. You'd be _tastefully_ showing some cleavage and some leg. If I were you, I'd show a little more of both." He carefully folded a swimsuit, placed it in the already bulging suitcase, and wrestled it closed. "I think that's everything."

"You do realize I'm only staying for five days, right?"

Andre nodded and smiled mischievously. "That's why most of what I packed is lingerie." He sat down and took her hands. "Your mission, that you're damn sure gonna accept, is to

seduce Finn and get. You. Some."

Mercedes' eyes widened. "You did _not_ just say that to me."

"Look, boo, one of us needs to be getting some. Since it's obviously not gonna be me," he muttered something about down low brothers and cheating sons of bitches, "it's gonna have to be you, baby girl."

Mercedes felt her cheeks heat up. "Come on..."

"You've been dating for two months! It's time for Mercy to get a little lovin!"

"Have you been eating the brownies from that Jamaican man in Compton again?" Mercedes asked suspiciously.

Andre shook his head. "No, and I love you, so I'll forget that you just said that. What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything. I'm just not sure if the time is right."

Andre raised an impeccably groomed eyebrow. "He's rented a house. He's rented a house in St. Bart's. He's rented a house in St. Bart's _and_ invited you to stay with him _alone_. Bitch, he might as well have hung a sign from his forehead that said, 'I want you, and I want you bad'."

Mercedes nibbled on her lower lip. "I don't know..."

"As much lingerie as I've packed for you, you better figure it out! Now, let's get some sleep, so I can take you to the airport at the ass crack of dawn." Mercedes and Andre curled up under the covers. He kissed her forehead. "Stop doubting yourself. You're beautiful, and he knows that," he murmured. "Night, Mercy."

"Night."

After a quick coffee run, Andre was bidding Mercedes goodbye at the airport. "Call me when you land, so I know you made it, okay?"

"I will. See you in a few days!"

Andre planted a kiss on her forehead. "Go get yo man, boo!"

Giggling, Mercedes made her way through security and to the proper gate. She sent Finn a text letting him know she was in the airport and the flight should be on time. He texted back that he would be at the airport and that he was excited to see her. Smiling, Mercedes turned on her iPod and leaned back to relax before the flight boarded.

First class was not horribly crowded, and Mercedes took a very refreshing nap. She woke up once she was told to put her seat in the upright position, butterflies beginning to form in her stomach. She made sure her hair wasn't too terribly tousled, popped a mint and smoothed on some lip gloss. Her traveling dress was still largely in place, and she double checked to make sure her hat was by her side and her sunglasses were in her purse. Putting on said items, she sent Andre a quick text and waited to be allowed off the plane.

She saw Finn as soon as she stepped into the airport. He was busily scanning the faces for her, and she gave an inward giggle as his face lit up when he spotted her. She approached him and kissed his cheek. "Hey, stranger."

"I just saw you three weeks ago," Finn pointed out, accepting the kiss, and wrapping her into a firm hug. "How was your flight, Angel?"

"I slept through it. Andre says hi, by the way."

Finn tucked her at his side and led her to the baggage claim. "Tell him I said hi next time you talk to him. Which bags are yours?"

"The black ones with hot pink handles."

Finn grabbed her bags and led her to where a car was waiting. "This is Etienne. He's the groundskeeper for the house I rented. His wife, Victoire, is the cook."

Mercedes smiled brightly at him. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Etienne."

"Just Etienne please, Ms. Jones." He shook her hand before taking the luggage from Finn.

"You're going to love the view from the house. It's beautiful," Finn said, climbing into the car. "Victoire is making tilapia tonight. Her cooking is great."

"Mmm...sounds great!" Mercedes smiled as Finn wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He kissed her temple, breathing in the smell of her perfume. "So, what are we going to do today?" Mercedes let out a small yawn.

"When we get to the house, you're going to take a nap, then I thought we could go to the beach and relax for a little."

Mercedes nodded sleepily. "Sounds good to me." Upon arrival at the house, Mercedes was immediately shown to her room, where she happily fell across the bed and dozed off.

Finn went into his room and closed the door before picking up his phone and calling Kurt.

"Finn? What's up? Aren't you with Mercy?"

"Yeah. Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, maybe she wants to take it slow."

Finn could hear Kurt's elegant scoff. "You've been dating for two months, and you've never even kissed. Trust me, she wants you to kiss her. Now, my sources tell me that she's holding back because she's not sure if you _want_ to kiss her. Make a move!"

"Your sources?"

"Andre. We've been in constant contact since you two lovebirds reconnected in Lima."

Finn shook his head. "Strangely, I'm not surprised."

"Of course not. Anyway, plan something romantic, and when she's looking at you all starry eyed, go in for the kiss. Just trust me."

"Okay, if you're sure..."

Kurt sighed. "Finn. Just do it. I'm not getting any younger, and I want some nieces or nephews before I'm too old to enjoy them."

Finn blushed. "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye!"

When Mercedes awoke, the sun was high in the sky. She showered and put on a mint green sundress before going in search of Finn. She found him sitting on the veranda, staring out over the sparkling blue water.

"Hey."

"Hey, Angel. Have a nice nap?" Finn hesitated for a moment before pulling her down into his lap. She stiffened briefly, but tucked her head onto his shoulder.

"I did. So, what now?"

"In the mood for a swim?"

"Actually, I'd love to take a walk on the beach."

"We can do that."

Barefoot, the two of them strolled down the beach, Mercedes torn between scanning the sand for shells and staring out over the water. Finn's startled gasp drew her attention, and she jerked her head up towards him, surprised. "What?"

Finn gently turned her body so she was facing the ocean, and tilted her head just right. "Look."

Mercedes drew her breath in sharply, watching a dolphin make a spectacular leap out of the water. "Oh my..." she breathed. The dolphin was joined by three more, and they played happily amongst the waves. Finn and Mercedes watched until the pod was out of sight. Mercedes turned sparkling eyes up to Finn. "That was beautiful."

Finn could only nod, mesmerized by Mercedes' sparkling brown eyes. He could hear Kurt's voice in the back of his head, telling him to do it. He leaned down and softly brushed his lips against hers, holding his breath that Kurt had been right. He pulled away, judging Mercedes' reaction. When she merely stared at him, wide eyed, he began stammering an apology. "I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, I should have-" Mercedes rolled her eyes and pressed her lips to his again. When she pulled away, Finn was smiling. "So I guess that means you _did_ want me to kiss you?"

Mercedes returned the smile. "Yes, it does. What took you so long?"

Finn shrugged and leaned forward to place another kiss on Mercedes' lips. "I have no idea."

Mercedes rested her head on Finn's chest and sighed happily. She jerked back as Finn's stomach growled. "Hungry?"

"Yeah. Let's head back and get some lunch."

Lunch was a light affair; a chicken salad that Mercedes raved over and a delicious mango-papaya juice. After, Finn and Mercedes set out some beach chairs and relaxed before heading into the water to cool off. Finn instigated a water fight that had Mercedes shrieking about her hair. She retaliated by slyly tripping him when they were headed back to shore. She tore off for the house, Finn hot on her heels. He caught up with her just before she could enter the house and spun her around, ready for payback. All thoughts flew from his mind as Mercedes pulled him into a very thorough kiss. Barely realizing what he was doing, he pushed her up against the door, pressing his body against hers. She whimpered her approval and Finn deepened the kiss, slowly exploring Mercedes' mouth. He held her tightly, fighting the urge to let his hands wander. He pulled away slowly, dropping small kisses on her lips as he did so.

"What happened to taking it slow?" Mercedes asked breathlessly.

"I don't know. Kissing you makes it hard to want to take things slow," Finn admitted, running his fingers through Mercedes' hair.

"Yeah...So, what should we do?"

Finn shrugged. "Instead of taking it slow, why don't we just take it one day at a time? Just see where this goes. I promise not to push too far. What do you think?"

Mercedes smiled. "We're two consenting adults. I think we can control our hormones." She closed her eyes as Finn kissed her forehead.

"Come on, let's get out of these swimsuits. I want to go for a walk until dinner."

Mercedes managed to hold in her squeal until she was safely in her bathroom with the water running to camouflage it.


	6. Chapter 6

An: Yes, I know I've been absent for an unreasonable long time, and for that I offer my most sincere apologies. Sometimes life just gets in the way, unthinkable though that may seem. This is an M rated chapter, you've been warned!

Chapter 6

"Hey, Angel, you decent?"

Mercedes looked up from where she was braiding her hair. "Yeah, come in Finn."

Finn walked into the room and leaned against the windowsill. "Well, I gave Etienne and Victoire the day off. Victoire left us lunch and dinner, all we have to do is warm it up."

Mercedes finished her hair before turning to face Finn. "So, we've got the place to ourselves?"

"The beach too. Private beach, remember?"

"So, what's the plan?"

Finn moved over to where Mercedes sat, and pressed a light kiss to her shoulder. "I figured we could just lay around. Either on the beach or inside. Doesn't matter to me."

Mercedes turned slightly so she could brush a soft kiss across Finn's lips. "Beach first, then lunch and movies or something til dinner."

"I like the plan. I'll go put on my trunks."

Mercedes put on her swimsuit, and wrapped her sarong around her waist. She sighed, looking at the French braid she had worked on before taking it down and putting on a sun hat.

Finn met her in the foyer and they headed for the beach. Finn set up a few chairs and some bottled water before plopping into one with a blissful sigh. Mercedes settled down with a book. Within minutes she was completely into her book, and completely unaware that Finn was staring at her.

Finn had agreed to take things one day at a time, but with Mercedes laying out in all her swimsuited glory, he was having some pretty naughty thoughts. Mercedes shifted, and her sarong fell open slightly, exposing the smooth expanse of her thigh.

Finn had managed to combat the sexual problems he'd had in high school admirably, but _damn_ Mercedes' thighs were turning him on. He got up quickly and fairly ran into the water, hoping the cold ocean would calm him down. He faced out towards the ocean, breathing in deeply.

"Hey, why didn't you say you were getting in the water? I wanted to get in too." Mercedes' playful voice came from behind him.

"Oh, well, um...fuck it." Mercedes was pulled against a firm bulge in Finn's trunks. "That's why I got in the water."

"Oh my..." Mercedes looked up at Finn, wide-eyed. "But we weren't..."

"You have the sexiest legs," Finn admitted, eyes downcast.

"You got this turned on from seeing _my legs_?"

Finn gently ran his hands down Mercedes' curves. "You have a beautiful body," he said softly. His eyes burned with an intensity that made Mercedes' knees weak. "I should probably let go of you before I do something I'm not gonna be sorry for later..." he breathed, staring down at her reluctantly.

"Like what?" Mercedes whispered. Finn seized her by her upper arms and crushed their lips together. Mercedes wound her arms around Finn's neck and returned his kiss just as hungrily. Finn caressed the thighs that had captivated him earlier, and grinned against her lips.

"That's just for starters...want me to keep going?"

"Maybe," Mercedes said coyly. Finn shifted his hands to her ass and gripped it firmly.

"Flirt," he resumed kissing her, sucking lightly on her bottom lip. Mercedes' hands were trailing over his torso softly, but when she gripped him through his trunks, he broke away with a low groan. "Fuck this."

Mercedes squealed as Finn swung her into his arms and marched her to the beach house, completely unmindful of the sheets or the fact that Mercedes was still wet from the ocean when he dumped her on the bed. Finn rested his arms on either side of her head. "Finn! We're soaking the bed!"

"I could care less about the bed." Finn slowly shifted a strap from Mercedes' swimsuit down her shoulder. "I want you to take this off."

Mercedes' jaw dropped. "What happened to one day at a time?"

"I promise to stop when you tell me to, but right now, I want to see all of you." Finn's warm breath rushed past Mercedes' ear, sending a shiver down her spine. He moved to allow Mercedes to get up. She slowly peeled off her swimsuit, watching as Finn's gaze grew more and more intense the more skin she revealed. When she was completely naked, Finn moved to stand in front of her. He pulled her into another kiss, this one slow, methodical, and meant to make her knees turn to water. She moaned helplessly.

Finn sat on the bed, pulling Mercedes so that she straddled his lap. He lay down, pulling her on top of him. She moved her hips against him, making him groan. "Don't tempt me, Angel."

"Why not? You're tempting me," she murmured.

"I'm trying very hard not to just fuck you senseless. You're gonna get off today, that much is for sure." Finn flipped their positions, and kissed his way to her breasts. "Damn, these are perfect," he muttered, running his tongue over one experimentally. The loud groan Mercedes released made him smile and pull the nipple into his mouth, giving a gentle suck. His other hand was busily tweaking and teasing her other nipple to hardness. When he was convinced they had been given enough attention, he kissed his way down to her inner thighs and just stared.

"What?" Mercedes asked self-consciously.

"You're beautiful _everywhere_. Are you okay with this?" Finn met Mercedes' eyes, hands resting perilously close to her soaking wet core. She nodded. He ran a finger up and down her slit, feeling how wet she was, before sticking his finger in his mouth and sucking her juices off. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. "And you taste like brown sugar. Jesus..." He buried his face between her legs, automatically finding the spot that would make Mercedes moan in pleasure. His hands caressed her thighs before finding their way to her breasts, mentally thanking his family for gifting him with long arms. He teased her nipples while he licked and sucked at her clit. He darted his tongue into her core and brushed it against her g spot teasingly. This time, Mercedes _shrieked_. He alternated teasing her g-spot with sucking on her clit, while his hands manipulated her nipples. Finn's name blurred into God's, then baby, finally settling on a mishmash of words Finn couldn't decipher. He could feel her legs begin to shake, so he buried his face deeper into her thighs, working his tongue harder. Mercedes threaded her fingers through his hair, breathing stuttering. He could just barely make out the words 'Finn' and 'coming' before Mercedes arched her back off the bed, a high pitched scream emerging from her lips. Finn's mouth and chin was completely soaked, but he rode out her orgasm, not letting up until she had at least two more. When he finally pulled his face away, Mercedes was a sobbing, shaking mess. He licked his lips and wiped his chin off with the back of his hand before crawling up the bed and pulling Mercedes into his arms. He wiped her tears away gently.

"Are you okay?" He asked, feeling rather proud of himself.

"I didn't know I _could_ have multiple orgasms," Mercedes said in a daze. "I think I may have blacked out at one point, I'm not sure."

"That just means I did my job correctly."

Mercedes nodded fervently. "You _definitely_ did." She bit her lower lip, thinking. "Do you want me to...return the favor?"

Finn shook his head. "Not today. I know you _have_ to be tired, as hard as you came. Do you want to stay in here with me and sleep?"

Mercedes shook her head, and Finn's face fell. "The sheets are soaked. Change into something that's dry, and come to my room. We can watch movies or something."

Finn nodded, kissing Mercedes quickly, and watching her walk unsteadily out of the room. He pulled on a t-shirt and some basketball shorts before going to Mercedes room. She had put on a pair of shorts and a tank top, and was curled up in bed with the TV on. Finn crawled into bed next to her and pulled her close. "I didn't go too far today, did I?"

"Considering we only just kissed yesterday?" Finn winced. "We've got ten years of sexual tension to consider. I'm surprised that we didn't have sex."

"Hey, I have _some_ control. I just wanted to make you feel good."

"Well, you definitely did."

"You're worth it. Now, cuddle time," Finn said firmly.

"What grown man says cuddle?" Mercedes asked incredulously.

"One that knows he can make his girl scream like a banshee. After the _three_ orgasms I gave you, I'm perfectly entitled to say and have cuddle time." Finn pulls Mercedes against his chest, and smiles as she wraps her arms around his waist and intertwines their legs.

"Good point."


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Here we go! Thanks to all my reviews! I love y'all to pieces!

Chapter 7

"Our last day of freedom," Mercedes sighed, plopping into her beach chair dramatically.

"It flew by, didn't it?"

"Yeah. This time tomorrow, I'll be back in LA, and you'll be...wherever Lauren is."

Finn rested his hands behind his head, studiously avoiding Mercedes' gaze as he looked out over the water. "I'll be moving into my new house just outside of LA."

"So, when can we see-wait, what?" Mercedes sat bolt upright in her chair.

"I bought a house. In Glendale," Finn said casually.

"For WHAT?"

"To settle down. What, too soon?" He grunted as Mercedes pulled him into a long kiss.

"This is perfect! We can actually see each other more than once a month now!" She paused. "What about Lauren?"

"I can manage her career just as easily from LA as I could from anywhere else."

Mercedes was beaming. "That's great! So, what are you gonna do about furniture?"

"Ask my amazing girlfriend to help me pick some out? Or hire an interior decorator."

"Where are you staying since you have no furniture?"

"I already had my stuff from my old apartment moved there. But since it's an actual house, I thought you'd help me decorate the entire place?"

Mercedes leaned over and gave him another kiss. "I'd love to." She squeaked as Finn pulled her into his lap and gave her a deeper kiss. He nipped at her full lips playfully, making her giggle. He rested his forehead against hers, smiling in pure contentment.

"I want more moments like this," he said softly. "Just me and you."

"We can have them now." Mercedes cupped Finn's cheek. "We can be an actual couple now. Go on dates more than once a month, spend time together..."

"You can spend the night at my place sometimes, or I could spend the night at yours..." Finn said softly. "The best part of this vacation was holding you and waking up to you in my arms. The first time, I had to make sure I wasn't dreaming."

Mercedes blinked rapidly as she felt tears come to her eyes. "That's really sweet."

Finn gave her the crooked grin she so adored. "You bring it out of me."

"Come on, let's go back inside. It's almost time for dinner anyway."

After dinner, Victoire washed dishes, and wished them both a good night and safe trip before she and Etienne took their leave. Finn and Mercedes ended up in his room, curled up together in a comfortable silence. Mercedes tilted her head to look up at him. "It's our last night here."

Finn nodded. "Yeah. But just think, we'll be able to do this much more often."

Mercedes snuggled into his chest. "Good."

"You know, Kurt threatened to replace all my suits with sequined riding pants and flamenco shirts if we didn't have sex," Finn said.

"Andre feels the same way."

"Eh, they can wait a few more weeks. I'm in no rush," Finn said, waving his hand. "I figure we can christen my new house."

"What do you mean christen?"

Finn smiled wickedly. "I take you on every available surface in the house."

"Sounds time consuming."

Finn nuzzled his cheek against her hair. "Oh, it'll take at least a weekend."

"I'm up for the challenge." Mercedes sat up slightly. "So, are you catching a flight to LAX with me?"

"Yeah. Andre offered me a ride."

"You guys talk?"

"No, he talks to Kurt, who talks to me."

Mercedes shook her head. "Figures. Where's your seat?"

"Probably next to yours, if Andre and Kurt had their way."

"Remind me to send them gift cards or something," Mercedes mumbled in contentment, settling back down against Finn.

"Definitely."

The next morning flew by as Finn and Mercedes prepared themselves for the airport. Etienne dropped them off and shook their hands before wishing them a safe journey.

Finn and Mercedes did indeed have seats in first class next to each other, and they used the opportunity to talk quietly about Finn's new house. Andre was waiting for them when they got off the plane and he swept Mercedes into a huge hug. "Your schedule is clear for tonight, and I want it!"

"You got it babe," Mercedes said, giggling.

Andre gave Finn a handshake. "Well, let's get you guys to where you need to go."

A few hours later found Andre and Mercedes curled up in her bed watching TV. "So, no sex...technically."

Andre raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, technically?"

"He can _really_ work his tongue."

Andre actually squealed in excitement. "Oh my God, girl! So, tell me more!"

Mercedes gave him the rundown on her week, Andre asking questions when necessary, and squealing when not necessary. Once she had finished, Andre gave her a Look. "So, what happens now?"

"He asked me to help him decorate his new house. I mean, now we can be a couple, an actual couple. Go on dates, spend more time together..."

"Get hounded by the paparazzi," Andre pointed out. "Have you warned him?"

"I think he has a basic idea."

Andre shook his head. "Baby girl, he's gonna need a better idea than that. You do realize that you and him are in People magazine, right?"

Mercedes sat bolt upright in bed. "WHAT?"

Andre hopped out of the bed and was back shortly with said magazine. "They called you and your mystery man a cute couple, and very obviously into each other."

Mercedes gawked at the picture. It was when they were in the airport at St. Bart's, greeting each other. Mercedes was beaming, and Finn looked extremely happy. "Well, at least I know the beach was private."

"But still, good thing y'all kept it in your pants. _That_ would have made the paparazzi piss themselves."

"Good point. Has anyone we know seen it?"

"Not really. Your brother saw it, but he's not too worried about it. He says it came at a good time, it'll be good for your new album."

"That sounds like something he would say."

Andre gave me a grin. "And I know for a fact that a couple of leading men are a little upset that they can't make you their leading lady..." he sing-songed.

"Tough luck for them," Mercedes said, shrugging. "So what else did I miss?"

Andre and Mercedes' gossip session lasted well into the night.

Her first week back passed in a blur. She was in the studio from morning til night, with appearances to promote the upcoming album in between. She didn't get to see Finn until almost two weeks after their trip. He called her and asked if she would meet him at a furniture store near his house. Mercedes went incognito for the trip, tying her hair back with a scarf, and forgoing makeup and jewelry. Finn smiled as she approached. "You look beautiful," he said, greeting her with a thorough kiss.

"Thanks," she replied, albeit a bit breathlessly. "So, do you know what you want?"

Finn shrugged, and held the door open for her. "No clue. I don't want it to be all girly. It's got to look like a man lives there."

Mercedes arched an eyebrow, but she managed to find things for his living room and dining room that fit in with his requests. "Are you gonna redo your bedroom?"

"Yeah, I think I'll move my old stuff into one of the spare bedrooms and make that a guest room."

"Okay." Mercedes perused the bedroom section of the store for a long while, until finally deciding on a set. Their salesperson all but cried as Finn paid for everything upfront.

"Okay sir, everything will be delivered and set up for you in two days, on the sixteenth. Is that reasonable?"

"It's fine."

"Well thank you for shopping at Johnson's Furniture. Have a nice day, and please come back if you need anything else."

Finn wrapped a long arm around Mercedes' shoulders as they left. "That was painless. Time-consuming, but painless." His stomach growled and he blushed.

"My thoughts exactly. Let's get something to eat."

After lunch, Finn invited Mercedes to his place so she could see what she would be working with once the furniture arrived. Mercedes looked everything over with a critical eye, deciding what would go where. When she was finally satisfied, she plopped down on Finn's old couch with a long, satisfied sigh. Finn sat down next to her, pulling her into his side. "You're amazing."

"For what? Helping you pick out furniture?"

"Not only that, you're just all around amazing. Best girlfriend ever."

Mercedes giggled lightly. "Well that's sweet." She accepted the light kiss Finn gave her, and curled into his side. They remained in that position for almost the rest of the day, Mercedes reluctantly leaving when evening fell. The toe-curling kiss Finn gave her more than made up for it.

"Call me whenever you're free."

Mercedes blinked the lust from her eyes. "I will."

The next day, her brother met her for lunch. They perused their menus in silence, then ordered. Finally, James decided to speak up. "So, you and your new boyfriend are the hot topic in the entertainment world right now."

"I thought it was only that one picture?" Mercedes said warily.

James nodded. "It was, and now I'm getting almost constant phone calls for interviews and more pictures. I'll leave the decision up to you and Finn, but it might be a good idea to be seen in public with him. Gets your name out there."

"His too. But really, I don't know if I want him to have to see this side of my fame."

"It's gonna come up eventually, you may as well get it out the way now," James pointed out logically. "I'm assuming you'll want him by your side at the Grammys."

"Well, yeah. Of course."

"So he's gonna have to get used to the red carpet, and being put on the spot. WWE and the music industry are two _entirely_ different things. You need to make sure he knows _exactly_ what he's getting into. Wouldn't be fair to him otherwise."

Mercedes smiled at their waiter as he brought their food before looking at her brother and shaking her head. "When did you get so smart?"

"Being the manager of a world famous diva has its perks," James said, before digging into his burger. Mercedes picked at her salad, deep in thought. James waited for her to say whatever was on her mind.

"There's been no backlash over the race thing?"

"Not that anyone will admit to me. I don't get what the big deal could be. He's white, you're black, so what?"

"If only everyone thought the same way."

James shrugged. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: fuck the haters. If they don't like what you're doing, screw them. You're on top of the world right now, and you're finally really happy. It makes me and everyone else happy to see you finally truly happy."

Mercedes blinked back tears at the sudden and rare show of emotional support. "Thanks James."

He shrugged again and turned back to his burger. "Mom and Dad want to meet him."

"They already know him! He's Kurt's stepbrother."

"Yeah, but they don't know him as your boyfriend. He was just 'that nice boy that looked after you and that darling Kurt Hummel in school'," he said, affecting his mother's manner of speaking.

Mercedes giggled. "Oh God, did she really say that?"

"Yup, right along with wondering what ever happened to that 'Jewish hoodlum that got sweet little Quinnie pregnant'."

Mercedes had to take a deep sip of her water to hold off bursting into laughter in the middle of the restaurant. As it was, tears stood out in her eyes, and she had to dab at them with her napkin. "Not funny," she managed to choke out.

"I'm serious." James had to bite his lip to hold off on bursting into laughter as well. Eventually the siblings calmed themselves.

"Well, I wanted to go home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, so I guess I could see if he wanted to go."

"Hey, if it's cool with Mom, you could invite his family too. Mom really liked Kurt. He was the one who hooked up her wardrobe that one time, remember?"

Mercedes finally gave in to her giggles. "Oh God, you're right!" She took several deep breaths. "I'll call her tonight and see what she and Daddy think. Will you be going home?"

"Of course. The kids want to see their Madea and Pop-pop."

"How are they? Y'all should come over for dinner or something sometime soon."

"They're good. Jared is making straight A's, and we finally have Jerome potty trained. Whenever you're free, we can swing by. Jasmine's been asking about you."

Mercedes shook her head fondly. "The J names are throwing me off man."

"It was all Jasmine's idea. And you know how hard it is to change her mind when she's made it up." James looked at his ever-present Blackberry. "And I meant to remind you, you're gonna need to make an appearance at that new club Lil Wayne just opened."

Mercedes wrinkled her nose. "Are you serious? I don't even _like_ Lil Wayne."

James smiled. "I know, I know, but this is Hollywood. You've gotta at least pretend to like him. Just show up, smile, wave and then leave. Andre and Antoinette are going with you."

"Anything else?"

"No...outside from that, you've got the weekend free. Use it wisely, because it might be the only one you have until the holidays."

Mercedes thought back on the idea Finn had suggested and smiled. "I definitely will. What day is this club appearance?"

"Thursday. After that, you're free til Monday." James gave her a stern look. "Protect your voice. I have no idea how I would explain your mysterious 'laryngitis' if you show up in the studio on Monday sounding like a frog. Make sure Finn knows that."

Mercedes pursed her lips to hide her embarrassment. "Really James? Really?"

James rolled his eyes. "I'm married with two kids. You think I don't know? Come on now."

Mercedes made a face. "Just because you have kids doesn't mean I want to think about the sex that was required to make them."

James cracked up. He settled the bill and walked Mercedes to her car before kissing her cheek. "Don't forget, Thursday night."

Thus it was that Mercedes found herself handing the keys to her flashy 'celebrity car' to a valet and heading into Lil Wayne's new club. She was decidedly _not_ happy, Andre having squeezed her into the most hoochie outfit she'd allow, a plum dress that clung in all the right places and showed a lot of leg. The only part of the outfit she liked were the five inch black and silver pumps. Her hair was bone straight, with blunt bangs, make up perfect, fake smile firmly in place. She made her way to VIP, spoke briefly with Lil Wayne and his entourage, and booked it out of there. Once in the car, Antoinette giggled. She was a supermodel, and good friend of Andre's. Mercedes liked her because unlike most other models, she ate like a real woman and was really down to earth.

"Girl, you lit out of there like the place was on fire!" Antoinette teased, jade green eyes sparkling with humor.

"That's cuz Miss Jones over here is getting herself some this weekend! If I was her, I would have said hi, bye and deuces!" Andre said, cackling. He and Antoinette exchanged hi-fives.

"Don't make me drop you guys off on the street," Mercedes warned. She smiled as Antoinette's deep ebony hand landed on her shoulder.

"You know we're just teasing! I'm happy for you. You deserve a man that's going to make you feel as wonderful as we know you are."

"Thanks Toni," Mercedes murmured. She dropped them off at their respective homes, and made her way to her house to change. She slipped into some of the lingerie she was supposed to wear in St. Bart's, a dark green corset and matching thong before putting on a deceptively simple pair of jeans and ivory off-the-shoulders shirt. She slipped her feet into a pair of forest green pumps and grabbed the keys to her Prius, along with a bag packed with essentials.

Finn had just settled down to watch a movie when his doorbell rang. He answered it cautiously, not knowing just who would drop by unannounced on a Thursday night. A smile spread across his face. "Angel? What are you doing here?"

"I've got the weekend free. I thought we could get started christening the furniture," Mercedes said innocently, the wicked gleam in her eyes belying her innocent tone.

AN: Warning y'all right now, next chapter will be pretty much all sex. Lots of sex is going to happen, and I do mean lots. Ten years is a long time to build up tension. So, if you are uncomfortable with the idea of lots of sex, consider this your warning!


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Thanks for the reviews! I love them! I'm running off of _no_ inspiration, so if it isn't up to par, my most sincere apologies. Again, this is a _very_ M rated chapter.

Chapter 8

To his credit, Finn did not waste any time. Before Mercedes could blink, she was inside the house, up against the door, and being kissed while Finn's hands kneaded the globes of her backside. When he finally let her up for air, he asked, "Which room should we start in?"

Mercedes used the moment to fix her shirt, which had come dangerously close to being ripped. "I say we start right here," she said, moving to take off his shirt. Finn countered by sliding her jeans off. He hissed in pleasure when he realized she was wearing a thong. He swept her into another kiss, and they slid to the floor, Mercedes sitting up against the door, legs on either side of Finn, while he was kneeling and kissing the holy hell out of her. They made out furiously for several long minutes until Mercedes pulled away, panting. She managed to tug at Finn's shorts, lips in a pout. Finn was out of them in seconds. While he was standing, Mercedes took the opportunity to wrap her lips around his dick. Finn gave a hard shudder. Mercedes had eaten something very cold, and the contrast of her hot lips and chilled tongue were making him want to fuck her face, _hard_. As it was, he couldn't help sliding his fingers through her hair and tugging slightly. Mercedes hummed against his shaft, and Finn closed his eyes, hips thrusting forward slightly. He felt, more than heard, Mercedes' soft chuckle. She brought one hand up to cup his balls, while the other stroked his hip. Finn could only groan her name as he came. She kept sucking, making him cum harder. She pulled him out of her mouth, grinning sensually.

"That doesn't count," Finn said.

"Why not?"

"Because I had a plan."

"And that was?"

"Me fucking you against the door. Then we could move this party into the living room."

"Fucking me against the door?" Mercedes said skeptically. She accepted the helping hand Finn gave her. "How would that work?" She gasped as Finn pinned her against the door and lifted her up. He rubbed his hardening member against the thin silk of her panties, loving the surprised mewl that escaped. "Finn, I'm too heavy. You're gonna hurt yourself."

Finn rested his forehead against hers, a wicked grin playing around his face. "If you don't trust me to hold you up, I bought some over the door restraints yesterday..."

Mercedes arched an eyebrow. "Did you now? Okay, show me."

The restraints were simple; a pair of hooks at the top of the door, with some strongly woven restraints for her arms and legs. Finn gently guided her arms and legs through the restraints. "See?"

Mercedes smiled, "Okay, you've convinced me. There are condoms in my bag." She giggled nervously at how ridiculous she must look, but then Finn kissed her, and she lost all coherent thought. One hand was busily teasing her clit and making her pant with need, while the other rolled the condom over his dick. He guided himself into Mercedes' center, thrusting in firmly, and making her moan. He took his time, making each stroke long and deep. He pulled his angel into another intense kiss, his hands busily mapping the curves he so adored.

Mercedes wasn't sure if she would be able to christen the entire house. Finn was hitting all the right spots, and kissing all the right places. His tongue found a nipple and teased it, while his fingers flicked at her clit. She came with a soft moan, pushing Finn over the edge. He pulled out of her slowly, giving her small pecks to her lips.

"So, I'll give you the next choice," Finn said, helping her from the restraints. He couldn't help slapping her ass, just hard enough to make her jump.

Mercedes tapped her chin, staring around the room. She caught sight of the kitchen and strutted towards it, feeling Finn's gaze on her. He followed behind her, dick already getting hard again. Mercedes bent over the sink, looking back over her shoulder at Finn. "Always wanted to try this."

"Does this mean I can get a little rough?" Finn asked softly, sliding his hand up her back to tug at her hair. She whimpered.

"Thought you'd never ask," Mercedes purred.

Finn got himself back to full hardness again, while watching Mercedes trail her fingers through the wetness between her thighs. He slipped another condom on, bent her over the sink, and entered her roughly. One hand was smacking her ass, while the other was pulling her hair and making her pant. Mercedes was thoroughly enjoying herself, and when Finn began to talk, she almost lost it.

"You like it rough, don't you? You like me pulling your hair. Whose pussy is this, Angel?" Finn was pounding into her, and she was screaming and writhing against him. "I didn't hear you," Finn punctuated each word with a smack to her ass. "Whose. Pussy. Is. This?"

"FUCK! Yours Finn, it's yours!" Then she was spasming around him, and he was fucking her harder, emptying his seed into the condom. He caught Mercedes around the waist as she sagged against him, trembling.

"You okay?"

"I promised my brother not to mess up my voice," Mercedes said quietly, shaking her head. "I'm going to sound like a frog tomorrow."

"I already thought of that. I called our resident Broadway diva, and she gave me this recipe to keep your voice was getting strained. She says drink it when you wake up Monday morning, and you'll be just fine."

"So...I can be as loud as I want?" Mercedes asked wickedly.

"If you wake up able to talk tomorrow, I didn't do my job right." Finn leaned forward to kiss her lips softly. "Where to now?"

"The recliner in the living room."

Finn let Mercedes kiss and stroke him back to full hardness before she straddled him, sliding onto his dick and making him hiss appreciatively. She rode him hard, making his hands clench tightly on her thighs. He thrust up and she thrust down, rubbing himself against her clit. Mercedes was moaning loudly, taking him in deeper, riding him harder. Finn's hands on her hips stopped her movement, and he thrust upward forcefully, making her eyes roll back in her head. She wailed Finn's name as they both came, Finn lowering himself back on to the recliner. Mercedes leaned forward, resting her forehead against his.

"I don't think we'll be able to do the whole house tonight," she panted.

"Definitely not. Come on, let's go to bed. We can start again in the morning." Finn lifted her up and carried her up the stairs to his bedroom, smiling as she giggled and swatted at his chest playfully.

"Can I at least put some pajamas on?"

"No. Soon as we wake up, we're christening the bed. Then the shower and maybe the bathtub."

Mercedes hummed in appreciation. "I can work with that."

True to word, Mercedes awoke the next day to Finn's fingers teasing her to orgasm, while his lips were fastened around a dark chocolate nipple. She threaded her fingers through his hair, sighing in contentment, then moaning as her orgasm hit. Finn blanketed her body with his, sliding into her soaking pussy and groaning in pleasure. "Why do you feel so good?" He murmured, hooking her legs over his arms.

Mercedes arched her back as Finn hit her g-spot. "I don't know. Why do you?" She made a pleased moan as Finn thrust into her slightly harder. He leaned down and sucked lightly on her neck, just below her ear, making her breath hitch in her throat. Her fingers swept up and down his back. "And we're supposed to do this all day?" Mercedes gasped out as Finn adjusted their position so he could go deeper.

"You can tap out whenever you want," Finn said, making sure to leave a discreet mark on her neck. He began moving faster, making Mercedes writhe in pleasure. He threw her legs over his shoulders, and Mercedes absolutely _shrieked_ in pleasure. Finn grunted out her name as he came, before sliding out of her and flopping on the bed beside her. Mercedes dabbed at the sweat on her forehead, breathing heavily.

"I'm not going to tap out," she said firmly. "You're going to tap out before I do."

"Oh, so now you're challenging me?" Finn asked, rolling over onto his side. His gaze slid down her curves slowly. Mercedes leaned forward and kissed the space over his heart softly.

"Yes. Now, you mentioned a shower and a bath?"

Three rounds in the bathroom later found Mercedes and Finn in the kitchen, restoring their depleted energy with a much needed lunch. Mercedes could barely speak, and Finn was moving a bit slow. They grinned at each other over sandwiches and chips. "So, after lunch, where to?" Mercedes rasped.

"I have an indoor pool..." Finn said slyly.

"How indoor is indoor? The last thing I need is paparazzi catching me in the raw."

Finn grinned. "Your orgasm face is sexy if you ask me."

Mercedes shook her head. "That may be, but do you want the rest of the world to see it?"

Finn closed his eyes in mock thought. "On second thought...we'll go to the pool tonight."

Mercedes grinned. "So, where to next?"

By the time evening fell, Finn and Mercedes had done _something_ in every room in the house, and in some cases, on multiple pieces of furniture. Mercedes' legs would barely support her weight as she and Finn staggered upstairs to his room.

"I think we can leave the pool for next time," Mercedes rasped.

"I agree." Finn helped Mercedes climb into bed before pulling her close and drifting off.

Mercedes woke the next day to an all over soreness. She groaned, or rather attempted to, before she realized her voice had completely gone. She sighed, and sat up, pulling the sheet up around her chest as she realized Finn's side of the bed was empty. She ran a hand over her face, blinking sleepily.

"Morning Angel. I brought that drink Rachel told me about." Finn set down a tray on the nightstand. It contained a steaming mug that smelled of peppermint, scrambled eggs, toast, bacon and OJ. Finn handed over the mug, kissing Mercedes' forehead as he did so.

Mercedes took a cautious sip. Knowing Rachel, there wouldn't be any meat or meat byproducts, but still, better safe than sorry. It tasted of peppermint and spice. Mercedes quickly downed the drink, blinking rapidly as she felt her throat pain disappear. She cleared her throat cautiously. "Wow," she said clearly. "What the hell was in that?"

Finn shrugged. "I'll give you the recipe. Here, you need to eat."

They curled up in bed together, feeding each other breakfast and trading kisses occasionally. Finn gave her a lopsided grin. "I don't know about you, but I'm sore as hell."

Mercedes nodded agreement. "I'm afraid to get out of the bed. I might not be able to walk."

"I say we take a bath and spend the rest of the day in bed." Finn's hand slid over her hip, trailing down to her core. "Damn, how do you get so wet?" He asked, sucking his finger clean of her juices.

Mercedes shrugged. "Something to do with my amazingly sexy boyfriend," she teased, leaning forward to take his finger into her mouth. Finn bit his lip as Mercedes' sensual gaze met his. She watched curiously as Finn carefully set the remains of their breakfast aside before reaching into his nightstand for a condom. He pulled himself into a sitting position, and picked up Mercedes, placing her on his lap, and hissing as his dick found its way into her soaking pussy. Mercedes managed a breathless 'fuck'. They rocked against each other, kissing gently. Finn's hands were gentle, almost achingly so. Mercedes couldn't recall the last time she had felt so cherished and loved. Finn rested his forehead against Mercedes'.

"You are amazing. I'm so lucky to have you in my life," he murmured. Mercedes stroked his cheek.

"Oh, Finn...that's so sweet." Mercedes was unprepared for the intensity of the orgasm that swept through her. She was so surprised that not a sound exited her mouth. Finn bit his lip as he felt her pussy contract around him like a vise, pushing him over the edge as well. When the last of Mercedes' aftershocks faded, Finn kissed her forehead, and gently set her down next to him.

"I'm going to run us a bath." Mercedes nodded, curling up under the sheets while Finn disappeared into the bathroom. He emerged from the bathroom, picked her up, and gently deposited her in the bathtub, sliding in behind her. He carefully pulled her hair into a high ponytail before kissing the side of her neck. Mercedes breathed a deep sigh, letting the hot water relax her muscles.

"You're perfect," she said softly.

"No, _we're_ perfect. We bring out the best in each other." Finn rested his chin on Mercedes' shoulder, content.


End file.
